Best Man
by odddude1
Summary: Odd deals with conflicting emotions at Ulrich's and Yumi's wedding. UxO sorta kinda . That means Yaoi ish . Rated T just in case.


_I don't own anything at all, just my words._

_Review if you feel inclined to._

**Best Man**

"If anyone has a reason these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

He had known it would be a hard day, but now, as the pastor spoke the lines he had surely said over a hundred times in his life, it finally hit Odd just how difficult it would be to stand by and watch the love of his life marry someone else.

Not that he had any other choice. This was how it had to be.

As he looked out among the guests of the ceremony, he smiled smugly to himself, thinking about how perfect a wedding it was for both parties. Neither had wanted anything overly showy, neither wanted hundreds of second cousins twice removed wandering around and drinking champagne… it was a quiet ceremony, just how they had planned it to be, and only their closest friends and immediate families had been invited.

And now… and now, the families of the bride and groom watched on, smiling and nodding, tears of joy always threatening to spill from their eyes. He wondered if they knew, if they suspected, that as they watched on and fantasized about all of the happy times to come for the would-be wedded couple, that his heart was throbbing painfully, and screaming at him that this was all wrong. That inside him raged an overwhelming desire to scream out the words "I object!" and throw has arms around the only person he had ever loved.

Of course, he knew he wouldn't. He wasn't nearly that selfish. And he could see how happy they were, as they looked into each other's eyes and thought about a future together, with a small house, a perfect lawn, and children one day. To keep them apart… it would be cruel. Even though his heart screamed at him to be greedy and take what he wanted.

The man who stood in front of him stopped abruptly and turned to look at him, his brown eyes meeting his for a few seconds. Odd thought that Ulrich had never looked more handsome than as he stood there then, with his hair fixed up and his tuxedo perfectly fitted to his muscular torso. All for Yumi. Everything that Ulrich had ever done had always been for Yumi.

And now, he stood there, staring at Odd with those dark, chocolate-colored eyes that so rarely betrayed any emotions, saying more about his feelings with his expression than Odd had ever heard him speak aloud.

_I know, _he seemed to say telepathically to Odd. _I know that you want to stop this. Now's your chance. What will you do?_

Odd just smiled, hoping that the pain that he felt in his chest wasn't obvious on his face. He reached out to Ulrich, and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Yumi, dressed in a long, white dress, respected the intimate moment between the two, and didn't try to interrupt. Her face looked serene, but just for an instant, Odd thought that he saw a knowing twinkle in her eyes. Her thoughts, though, she did not say, and Odd and Ulrich were left there, standing together, groom and best man, best friends, roommates, past heroes of a virtual universe. It was all about Odd, for that moment. And he knew what he had to do.

He cleared his throat. "Attention, everyone!" he called out, startling those present at the ceremony. Mrs. Ishiyama gasped and nearly fell out of her seat, upsetting Mr. Ishiyama. Mr. Stern looked incredibly agitated, and Mrs. Stern nearly fainted. Jeremie, who stood behind Odd, let out a frustrated yelp of sorts. Aelita, Yumi's Maid of Honor, looked incredibly concerned.

The only two who didn't seem perturbed seemed to be the bride and the groom. This seemed to have been expected.

Gaining his composure, Odd turned and grinned sheepishly at the crowd. "I'm sorry to interrupt this wonderful wedding," he said, chuckling softly. "But I simply cannot allow these two to marry… at least, not until I say a few words.

"Ulrich," he said softly, giving the brunette all of his attention once more, "-you've been my best friend for years, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. We've been through some good times, and some bad times, too, but we've always been there for each other, and that's what shows that we had a great friendship. I wouldn't have it any other way… just as I wouldn't have you marry anyone but Yumi. You deserve nothing less."

His unspoken words seemed to linger in the air, only perceptible to Odd and Ulrich. _I just wish that it didn't have to hurt so much._

Ulrich looked surprised by the speech; it seemed to Odd that Ulrich had suspected that Odd would stop the wedding entirely. He leaned in close to Odd. "Are you sure that this is how you want it to be, Odd?" he whispered, allowing nobody else to hear the conversation. "I mean, of course I'll be happy, but will you? You're my best friend; I love you, Odd."

Odd smiled sadly. "I know you do, Ulrich. But I also know that you'll never be able to love me the same way that I love you. I've come to terms with that. And I'm content with us just being friends, with us being only friends forever. And Ulrich… when it comes to having you in my life, I'll take what I can get."

Tears came to Ulrich's eyes, and Odd was surprised that the man he knew to never show his innermost emotions was close to crying. Ulrich reached out, embracing Odd. They held each other for a long time. For a moment, Odd could pretend that he had everything that he always wanted. But the moment had to end.

"Thank you," Ulrich finally said into Odd's ear, his voice full of emotion as he released Odd and quickly wiped his eyes, making sure that none of the others saw. "Will you be alright?" he asked. _Last chance, _Odd translated mentally.

He hadn't known before that moment that it was possible to feel so many conflicting feelings at once. Here was Ulrich, standing before him and offering to call off his wedding for Odd's sake. But Odd knew. Ulrich would never love him back, not the way that Odd needed. It would be better off for both of them this way. "I'll manage," Odd finally said in a choked whisper.

Ulrich, seeing that Odd had made his final decision on the matter, turned back to Yumi and the pastor. "We're ready to continue," he said, smiling apologetically at the pastor and the guests. The pastor nodded at the couple, and continued the ceremony.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And so, Odd, the best man, watched his best friend and only love marry someone else. The guests would later say that, while Odd was rather enthusiastic throughout the reception, they could sometimes see a hint of sorrow in his smile, and tears threatening to spill throughout the evening.

_I had a lot of fun writing this, for sure, and I'm glad to have completed it. I don't think that OddxUlrich get enough attention as a couple, and, even though they weren't actually a couple in the sense of the word in this fic, well, I think it still remains in the spirit of OxU._

_Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you'd like to!_


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